Container for dispensing pills or the like



Jan. 7, 1969 F. Y- SHERBONDY CQNTAINER FOR DISPENSING PILLS OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 9, 1966 llll l/llllll II/l/I/ I'La I I III], III III/II III ar%a4; r

United States Patent 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A container for dispensing a limited number of pills or other similar items wherein a safety flap means normally extends completely across and thereby blocks the dispensing mouth through which the pills are emptied from the interior of the container. The safety flap means is formed of a single imperforate flap of resilient material and it has one end secured in position while the other end is free to be displaced through the application of digital pressure applied through the dispensing mouth of the container. When such digital pressure is applied to displace the flop, a limited number of pills can pass between the displaced free end of the fiap and the side wall of the container and can thereafter exit through the dispensing mouth of the container.

This invention relates to a container for dispensing pills or the like and relates more particularly to a container wherein only a limited number of pills will be dispensed at a given time and wherein manipulation of the dispensing means is relatively difficult for children.

Pills or tablets are generally contained in bottles which have relatively large openings through which a large number of the pills can ordinarily be simultaneously dispensed upon inversion. In most instances only one or two pills are needed and frequently additional pills will accidentally be dropped from the container. Further, and even more important, many pills are quite dangerous when taken by children. It is therefore important that means be incorporated in pill dispensers of this type to preclude children from gaining access to the contents.

Numerous suggestions have been made for means to limit the quantity of pills or tablets dispensed from a receptacle including many safety bottles which are difiicult to utilize by children. However, such devices are frequently quite complex necessitating expensive manufacturing procedures and high costs for the final container. Because of these difficulties, prior art constructions have found only limited use.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a device of the type described which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and highly efiicient and reliable in use. Primarily, the instant invention provides a container wherein a single flap normally extends completely across the dispensing opening to block passage of pills or tablets therethrough, with the flap being at least partially flexible and resilient whereby it can be moved under the application of digital pressure to a limited degree to permit a restricted number of pills to be released from the container.

According to the basic objects of this invention, a container is provided which is relatively easy to use by adults for dispensing one or two pills, but relatively difiicult to use by children.

Also, the device of the instant invention will preclude accidental escape of the container contents even though the closure be removed and the container turned upside down.

Other and further objects reside in the combination of elements, arrangements of parts and features of construction.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out as the description of the invention proceeds and as shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical crosssectional view through one embodiment of a container in accordance with the instant inventive concept, the application of digital pressure on the resilient flap for dispensing of the pills within the container being shown in dotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the embodiment of FIGURE 1 showing the container partially inverted during the dispensing operation;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a modified container in accordance with the instant inventive concept, portions of an insert used therein being shown in elevation and partly bro-ken away for illustrative clarity; and

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken substantially along lines 44 of FIGURE 3.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in general, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, a container according to one embodiment of the instant invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and comprises basically a continuous sidewall 12, a bottom wall 14 and a top wall 16 having portions defining an opening 18 therethrough with a conventional threaded neck 20 surrounding the opening 18. The wall portions of the container 10 are preferably formed of plastic such as polyethylene or the like as illustrated in the drawing. However, it is to be understood that the basic container construction can be formed of any suitable material such as glass or metal. Further, although the container has been shown as basically cylindrical in shape, it will be readily seen that the configuration of the same may be changed without departing from the instant inventive concepts. Additionally, although a threaded neck has been shown for receiving a screw threaded closure, any conventional closing means may be utilized, and, in fact, a container may be formed according to the instant invention with no separate closure or cap, if desired.

According to the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2 a single flap 22 is provided within the container walls and normallyextending completely across the opening 18 to block dispensing of pills or tablets 24 therethrough. A limited part 26 of the flap 22 is secured peripherally to the inner surface of the top wall 16 adjacent the opening 18 in any conventional manner such as by adhesives or the like. If desired, the flap 22 may be formed integral with the top wall 16. The remainder of the flap, that is, the unseoured portion, designated generally by the reference numeral 28 extends freely across the opening 18 and peripherally contacts the underside of the remainder of the top wall 16.

The portion 28 of the flap 22 is flexible to permit moving the same partly into the receptacle or container as shown at 28 upon application of pressure such as by the finger shown in dotted lines at 30.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2, the fiap 22 is shown as formed of a disc of relatively thick plastic material whereby the resiliency of the same is limited so that movement can only by effected to approximately the position 28' where, as shown in FIGURE 2, upon inversion of the container 10, only one or two pills 28" can be dispensed simultaneously through the opening 18, the pills taking the somewhat tortuous path between the free end of the flap 22 and the wall portions of the container.

The thickness and resiliency of the material forming the flap, as well as the quantitative portion of the flap which is secured to the container wall, can be readily selected to permit movement of the flap any desired distance under the ordinary application of digital pressure, this criterion depending in part upon the size of the pills or tablets to be dispensed.

After removal of the pressure on the fiap 22, the resiliency of the flap material will automatically return the same to the opening-blocking position shown in full lines in FIGURE 1 whereby further pills will not accidentally pass through the opening 18.

Initial filling of the container can be readily accomplished before the bottom 14 is secured to the sidewall 12, or, alternatively, an opening can be provided in the sidewall which is subsequently sealed.

An alternate embodiment of a pill dispenser according to the instant invention is shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 wherein parts similar to the embodiment of FIGURES 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numeral followed by a sufiix a. In this embodiment, instead of securing a limited part of the flap 22a to a portion of the container itself, a separate insert 40 is disposed within the container walls. The insert 40 includes an upstanding support element 42 which as shown in the drawing is shaped similarly to the sidewall 12a of the container 10a and positioned adjacent the sidewall. The lower end 44 of the support element 42 rests on the bottom wall 14a and the upper end 46 of the support element 42 is juxtaposed to the top wall 16a. A limited part 26a of the flap 22a is secured to the upper end 46 of the support element 42 with the remainder 28a of the flap being unsecured to the support element. Preferably, as illustrated in the drawing, the support element extends at least approximately halfway around the periphery of the flap 22a thereby limiting the resiliency of the remainder 28a of the fiap so that it can only be partially depressed as shown in dotted lines at 23a.

The embodiment of FIGURES 3 and 4 is utilized in basically the same manner as is shown with the embodiment of FIGURES l and 2. That is, the unsecured portion 28a of the flap 22a is digitally depressed to the position 28a and the container 10a is inverted to dispense one or two pills through the opening 18a. On release of the digital pressure the fiap returns to its opening-blocking relationship due to its resiliency.

Once again, it is to be emphasized that the shape of the container is merely shown as cylindrical in the drawing for illustrative purposes. Also, the dispensing opening need not be positioned at the top of the container as shown in the drawing since the basic concepts of the instant invention can be utilized with sideor even bottom-opening containers.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved container for dispensing a limited number of pills or the like as well as a container which, although readily utilized by an adult, is difficult to manipulate by a child. Thus, all of the objectives of the instant invention, and others, are satisfied including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since many embodiments may be made of the instant inventive concepts, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A container for dispensing a limited number of pills or the like, comprising:

a body including side wall means and first and second end wall means at opposite ends of said side wall means to define a receptacle capable of holding a plurality of pills to be dispensed;

said first end wall means having an opening therein of a size substantially larger than the size of a pill within said receptacle, said opening defining a dispensing mouth for said pills;

a safety flap means disposed within said receptacle in juxtaposition to said first end wall means;

said safety flap means including a single imperforate flap of resilient material normally extending completely across said dispensing mouth to completely cover said mouth and thereby block the dispensing of pills therethrough;

said safety flap means further including means mounting said flap at one end thereof so said flap has a secured end and a free end;

. said flap being movable by digital pressure applied through said dispensing mouth to displace said free end away from said first end wall means and toward said second end wall means;

said secured end of said flap and the controlled resiliency of the material forming said flap serving to limit the amount of displacement of said flap free end;

said container being manually invertable as said digital pressure is applied to permit a limited number of pills to pass between said side wall means and the displaced free end of said flap and to exit from said receptacle through said dispensing mouth;

said controlled resiliency of said material forming said flap assuring that, when said digital pressure is released, said flap free end will return to its undisplaced position whereat said flap blocks said dispensing mouth;

said means mounting said flap at one end thereof to form said secured end including a support element within said receptacle adjacent said side wall means, said support element including a first end to which said secured end is attached and a second end abutting against the inner surface of said second end wall means.

2. A container as defined in claim 1 wherein said support element is generally semicylindrical, wherein said flap is generally circular, and wherein said support member first end is attached to approximately one-half the periphery of said flap so that half of said flap is secured and the other half thereof is unsecured and free.

3. A container for dispensing a limited number of pills or the like, comprising:

a body including side wall means and first and second end wall means at opposite ends of said side wall means to define a receptacle capable of holding a plurality of pills to be dispensed;

said first end wall means having an opening therein of a size substantially larger than the size of a pill within said receptacle, said opening defining a dispensing mouth for said pills, and the remainder of said first end wall means defining a continuous substantially flat shoulder which surrounds said dispensing mouth;

a safety flap means disposed within said receptacle in juxtaposition to said first end wall means;

said safety fiap means including a single imperforate flap of resilient material normally extending completely across said dispensing mouth to completely cover said mouth and thereby block the dispensing of pills therethrough;

said safety flap means further including means mounting said flap at one end thereof so said flap has a secured end and a free end;

said means mounting said flap at said one end thereof including means joining said one end of said flap solely to the underside of said fiat shoulder to create said secured end;

said free end of said flap normally resiliently abutting against, but being unattached to, the underside of said fiat shoulder;

said flap being movable by digital pressure applied through said dispensing mouth to displace said free end away from said fiat shoulder and toward said second end wall means;

said secured end of said flap and the controlled resiliency of the material forming said flap serving to limit the amount of displacement of said flap free end;

said container being manually invertable as said digital pressure is applied to permit a limited number of pills to pass between said side Wall means and the displaced free end of said flap and to exit from said receptacle through said dispensing mouth;

said controlled resiliency of said material forming said flap assuring that, when said digital pressure is released, said fiap free end will return to its undisplaced position Whereat said flap blocks said dispensing mouth.

STANLEY References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1938 Rasmussen 221-289 10/1961 Raimo 221-289 12/1962 Salk 221-289 FOREIGN PATENTS 4/1959 France.

H. TOLLBERG, Primary Examiner. 

